The present invention relates to a multimedia interface of a diagnostic test instruction and, more particularly, to automated testing, including multimedia-derived instruction, test monitoring, and error response, by an audiometer or other medical or diagnostic test instrument.
A wide variety of medical and diagnostic test instrumentation is known. An example of such instrumentation is an audiometer. The audiometer is an electrically activated generator of test tones for evaluation of hearing. Other medical and diagnostic instrumentations include a spirometer for measuring lung capacity, vision testing equipment, blood alcohol testing equipment, and occupational health industry maintenance testing equipment, such as blood pressure, EKG, and other wellness testing equipment. Generally, these and other prior testing instrumentations require one or more individuals to administer the test by operating the equipment and giving instructions to the test subject.
The trend in testing, however, appears to be toward automation. Through automation, reduced numbers of test administrators may be required and increased accuracy of testing, with lack of deviation caused by human administrator error, may be possible. Although certain limited automation has previously been possible, that automation has been directed primarily to the automated compilation, organization, and reporting of data in desirable formats. Processing units, such as, for example, personal computers, have previously been employed to achieve the automation of the compilation, organization, and reporting functions. Little automation, if any, has previously been achieved, however, in connection with the actual administration of the test. Administration of such tests has typically been performed almost wholly by one or more human test administrators.
Hearing testing has for several decades been performed utilizing an instrument called an audiometer. Prior to the audiometer, tuning forks and other tone generating devices were employed. In the early testing, a test subject responded directly to a test administrator who recorded test results based on the administrator""s subjective determinations. The advent of the audiometer, an electronic instrument that generates tones, provided a degree of standardization in hearing testing because uniform tones and proper calibrations are better achieved.
Even after the invention of the audiometer, however, hearing testing was far from standardized, as testing varied in both procedures and determinations. A standardized procedure, still followed today, was then developed for hearing testing. That procedure is referred to as the xe2x80x9cHughson-Westlakexe2x80x9d procedure. Other procedures are followed in some instances, but the Hughson-Westlake procedure is probably the most common.
In the Hughson-Westlake procedure, tones at a level audible to the test subject, such as, for example, 30 dB, are first presented to the subject. The test subject responds that the tones are heard, and then the level of the tones are reduced by 10 dB. This is repeated with the test subject responding that the tones are heard followed by 10 dB reductions until the test subject""s response (or lack of response) indicates that the tones are not heard. When the test subject so responds that the tones are not heard, the tone level is raised 5 dB. If the test subject does not then respond, the level is raised another 5 dB, and this is repeated until the subject signals that the tone is heard. This entire process is repeated until the test subject has three ascending positive responses at the same level. In order to make comparison of hearing quality over time, a first test is administered to establish a base line hearing level and later testing, undertaken at subsequent time intervals, provides results for comparison to base line. The comparison indicates any hearing loss or other changes over time.
As with diagnostic and industrial health testing instruments, generally, audiometers have progressed towards more automation. Also as with other instruments, however, automation of audiometers has typically focused on compilation, organization, and reporting of test results. The automation has not been directed to replacement of a human test administrator (or at least the traditional functions of such an administrator) by a machine automated process.
As previously mentioned, automation, particularly by a machine such as a computer, achieves certain advantages. In particular, the testing may be more uniform among subjects and test periods, whereas testing is subject to variation when a human test administrator administers and grades the test. Also, supplying human test administrators to conduct tests is rather costly. Reducing the required number of test administrators through further automation of testing procedures may reduce or eliminate those costs. Furthermore, test presentation and determined results may vary among human test administrators. More standardized and accurate testing may be possible if intervention of a human test administrator is reduced through further automation. In addition to those advantages, certain automation may provide added advantages, for example, multi-lingual test administration, multiple simultaneous different tests, multiple simultaneous test subjects, visual features, and other possibilities.
Embodiments of the present invention provide advantages of multimedia automation in diagnostic testing employing electronic or other instrumentation. The embodiments are particularly suited in the case of an audiometer, however, numerous other applications of the embodiments are possible. The above-described advantages, as well as other advantages, are achieved through the embodiments. The present invention is, thus, a significant improvement in the art and technology.
An embodiment of the invention is a method for automatedly administering an audiometric test. The method comprises the steps of controlling an audiometer to selectively switch the audiometer output between test tones generated by the audiometer and sound signals generated from digital information, first switching the audiometer output to sound signals when the step of controlling indicates a beginning of a new test, a completion of a current test, or a test error, outputting sound representative of the sound signals after the step of first switching, second switching the audiometer output to test tones after the step of outputting, and outputting test tones until the next step of first switching.
Another embodiment of the invention is a multimedia audiometer. The multimedia audiometer comprises means for outputting sound signals generated from digital information, means for outputting test tones, means for switching between the means for outputting sound signals and the means for outputting test tones, and means for controlling the means for switching, the means for controlling being communicatingly connected with the means for switching. The means for switching is communicatingly connected with the means for outputting sound signals and the means for outputting test tones.
Yet another embodiment of the invention is a multimedia audiometer. The multimedia audiometer comprises a computer, a tone generator, and a switch connected with the computer and the tone generator. The switch selectively causes either the tone generator or the computer to output sound waves, and the computer controls the switch.
Another embodiment of the invention is an audiometer. The audiometer comprises a processor, a memory, communicatingly connected with the processor, for storing digital data, a sound wave generator, for generating analog sound signals in respect of digital data, electrically connected with the processor, a test tone generator electrically connected with the processor, and a switch connected with the sound wave generator, the test tone generator, and the processor. The switch is controlled by the processor to selectively cause either the sound wave generator or the test tone generator to output sound waves.
A further embodiment of the invention is an instrument that conducts a test protocol on a test subject. The test protocol comprises an output by the instrument followed by an input to the instrument. The test subject determines the input, which input may be positive, negative, or null. The instrument comprises an output generator, an input detector for detecting the input, a digital data storage for storing a digital data, a multimedia converter, the multimedia converter converts the digital data to an analog signal, and logic circuitry connected to the input detector, the digital data storage, the multimedia converter, and the output generator, for logically operating on the input, reading the digital data, delivering the digital data to the multimedia converter, and controlling the output generator.
Yet another embodiment of the invention is a multimedia audiometer. The multimedia audiometer comprises a basic audiometer, a computer, a multimedia input interface communicatingly connecting the computer and the basic audiometer, and a communications interface communicatingly connecting the computer and the basic audiometer.
Another embodiment of the invention is a diagnostic instrument. The diagnostic instrument comprises means for outputting an audible sound, means for generating a test tone, means for storing a digital data, means for generating an analog signal derived from the digital data, means for switching an output of the means for outputting between the test tone and the analog signal, the means for switching being electrically connected to the means for generating a test tone and the means for generating an analog signal, means for processing, means for inputting, the means for inputting connects the means for processing to the means for outputting, and means for communicating, the means for communicating connects the means for processing to the means for outputting, the means for generating the test tone, the means for storing the digital data, the means for generating the analog signal, the means for switching, and the means for inputting.
Yet another embodiment of the invention is a method of performing a diagnostic test protocol. The method comprises the steps of outputting an audible sound, generating a test tone, storing a digital data, generating an analog sound derived from the digital data, switching the audible sound from the step of outputting between the test tone and the analog signal, processing the digital data, and controlling the steps of outputting, generating the test tone, storing, generating the analog sound, and switching.